Mother's Day

[Tess Ryder]

Tess wheeled her daughter into the maternity wing of the Naval Hospital, the biggest smile in the galaxy plastered her on her face, despite Natalia's grunting and Lamaze breathing. Even though the pregnancy was super short compared to a 'normal' pregnancy, given that she was carrying an Augment baby, it didn't surprise her, although it did surprise Natalia.

"I'm gonna kill him... I was expecting at least 8 months... not five!" Natalia said with a moan. "I was hoping for next month..."

"Oh it'll be fine... look... he's home, you're on leave, Nick's back and he can take on whatever launches... just relax. You'll give yourself the shits and I am not wiping your bottom at your age." Tess said with a laugh.

"I'm sooo glad I'm amusing you mother." Natalia said with a pout and kept her breathing up. "How far am I?"

"You still got a long way to go unless your kid has shape changing powers." Tess teased.

"Do NOT even joke about that... I've watched the Incredibles movies enough... I do not want a Jack Jack!" Natalia said and gave a scream.

"Wow... that was a good contraction..." Tess glanced at her wrist chrono.

"Ugh... I want this baby out... and then I am killing my husband." Natalia winced. "This is all his fault... stupid uber sperm..."

Nick and Khan jogged over to them as they walked through the door. "Hey what took you?"

"Can I kill my brother too?" Natalia said with daggers for eyes.

"No... you love them both. This will pass." Tess reminded her while stroking her hair.

"Hey... Julie threatened me the same way, I'm still alive." Nick said with a smirk. "Minus a couple fingers."

[Young Aimee]

"I do not believe my mother called for the disembowelment of family when she had me. At least no one ever mentioned it." She handed Tess a PADD. "The blood results you asked for doctor."

She already had a medical tricorder out and was scanning Natalia, "Mother is 119 over 79, heart rate 118, O2 sats 95, and is at 3 cm. Fetal heart rate is 140."

[Tess Ryder]

"Thank you Miss Sandoval." Tess said professionally and glanced at her tricorder. "Baby looks to be heading in the right direction too. Always a concern with Augment births, due to their fast gestation sometimes they don't always get a chance to do the proper rotation, breech is sometimes an issue but the little Miss is pointing head down, looks like she's anxious to get out." she whispered. "Kellow women are always impatient. My mother said I was born a week earlier than I should have been."

[Young Aimee]

"Yes, Doctor. What do I need to be looking for?" She was still working through her pre-med courses, but she shadowed Tess at every opportunity.

[Tess Ryder]

"Keep an eye on fetal heart rate and cervix dilation. Sometimes they can go from very small to 'it's time' quickly, contractions are getting closer and more intense." Tess said as she got Natalia set up in the birthing biobed. "These monitors that Khan designed..."

"Noonian!" Natalia reminded her.

"Noonian developed these to give us an almost foolproof way of monitoring the delivery, only fair that his wife is the first one to use these." Tess said as a 3D wireframe that filled in of Natalia's birth canal appeared on the monitor. "All the vitals are displayed here... if the pain gets too intense..." she pointed to the epidural hyposprays. "But she's opted for a natural birth, so just keep her calm."

"You're about as old as I was when I helped with my first delivery." Nick said as he stood off to the side. "Never know when you'll need to help when you're out somewhere."

"Agreed, so... while I want you to pay attention to the displays, may more attention to the mother and what your eyes tell you, but the displays will help you know how to explain it later." Tess said, acting very much as a teacher. "I love this part of the job, sure it's messy, but... when you see that baby come out, take his or her first breath of air and start crying, music to your ears. Nothing like it."

"Says you mom..." Natalia grunted as another contraction rippled through her. "Gyaaahhh... this girl is persistent. By the way, where the hell is she? I told her I was having her..."

"Saw her in the lobby... I think she's having a bit of... liquid courage before she comes up Luv." Noonian said as he stood next to her. "Just relax... let it happen dear... you're in very good hands."

"This is all your fault... you're having the next one." Natalia said with a half smile.

"We can make that happen..." Tess teased. "I had to do it for a Bolian, his wife was badly injured in a fall and I had to actually implant their fetus into him, had to do some tweaking to make sure he could support the little guy for a few weeks, but... it's possible."

"Don't encourage her!" Noonian said and chuckled. "That's what I love about both of you, your sense of humor."

"Oh I'm effin' serious." Natalia said with a wink.

[Young Aimee]

"Fascinating. You can do that?" She smiled smugly, "That will be my husband. I'll be too busy to be pregnant."

[Tess Ryder]

"Although there is nothing like motherhood... I wouldn't have had 3 pregnancies." Tess said with a smile. "You forget the pain and all that after you see that face the first time. Now triplets... that's a whole other matter. That you never forget and you pray you never have to do that again. Two is... rough... but three... "

[Young Aimee]

"I better be careful then. Apparently SHE is having twins," Aimee said with an odd expression on her face. She was after all was her counterpart from this reality.

[Tess Ryder]

"I married into a family that had a history of multiple births." Tess said with a chuckle. "Who knows what her... baby daddy's family was like." she gave Aimee a wink. "Still... I'd suggest actually dating the man that gives you kids but who am I to judge? Leo was the first man I dated seriously and the last man I dated seriously."

[Young Aimee]

"Yeah, well... It does seem that my family likes to get pregnant before marriage," Aimee agreed. "I'll just have to do better."